When the COVID crisis cancelled a lot of internships last summer, Sophia Roy and another student set up virtual classes 鈥渢o help young [high school] students continue learning science online, which is difficult to do.鈥�
鈥淚 was really passionate about that. We did experiments, it was really interactive, super fun and entertaining for the students,鈥� said Roy, who will graduate with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree next May.
Roy is one of four 不良研究所 students to win a 2021 Quebec Lieutenant Governor Youth medal. The prestigious award recognizes the involvement, determination and constant striving of Quebecers who have or have had a positive influence in their community. The other 不良研究所 medalists are聽,听听补苍诲听.
Roy applied for the medal only after a friend said the description applied to her.
As vice-president (external) of聽聽(ChESS) she has organized events for students, connecting them with professionals to discuss the various avenues open to holders of a chemical engineering degree.
A whole new world
Concurrently, she spent time mentoring incoming engineering students through the faculty鈥檚 student-run聽Promoting Opportunities for Women in Engineering聽(POWE) initiative.
鈥淚 helped them with registration, how to get to their class [online], how to study, how to get involved [in campus life] 鈥� that sort of thing. My aim was to get them to feel comfortable 鈥� it鈥檚 hard for them to know what steps to take.鈥�
She also got involved in the Engineering faculty鈥檚 plastics recycling sustainability project, getting students to interact with one another.
Roy was the 2020 recipient of 不良研究所 Engineering鈥檚 Inspirare Excellentia Scholarship, awarded on the basis of academic merit. She also won the 2019 Prix Rele虁ve (Chapeau Les Filles) awarded by Ministe虁re de l鈥橢虂conomie et de l鈥橧nnovation du Que虂bec to promote women鈥檚 career choices, and was twice awarded scholarships by the Fondation de l鈥橭rdre des inge虂nieurs du Que虂bec.
At her 脡douard Montpetit c茅gep in Longueuil, she won the Governor general鈥檚 academic medal for the school鈥檚 second highest grade average in 2016 and was the sole finalist of the 2018 E虂douard-Montpetit Schulich Leader scholarship.
Asked why the francophone student who had never studied in English picked 不良研究所 for her post-secondary education, Roy replied: 鈥淚 thought it would really open up the whole world for me. In my [own] milieu, I wouldn鈥檛 have met so many incredible people from around the world. I鈥檓 really glad I took that step, accepted that challenge to study in English and have access to that community. It鈥檚 really special.鈥�
This article was originally published in the .